Either way, anyone notice how more Sugar Bowl scenes in recent episodes have shown people eating actual food instead of ice cream or milkshakes?

It's possible that the producers don't want to show Arthur and his group constantly eating candy and drinking milkshakes without eating real food, considering how often they used to eat desserts at the sugar bowl.

Just remembered another one. In "Sue Ellen Chickens Out", during Sue Ellen's fantasy, Beauregard Poulet says that the Sugar Bowl doesn't have a deep fryer, but in "DW the Picky Eater", Arthur and friends are eating french fries there, and I think there is a recent episode where someone is eating them, too.

It could just be that the sugar bowl is ripping off its customers by serving frozen french fries instead of ones that they make.